Bridge for stringed musical instruments



1964 K. E. G. WEINREICH 3,

BRIDGE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 18, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 bv: Rani EMMA fiaMQWM Feb. 4, 1964 K. E. G. WEINREICH 3,120,145

BRIDGE FQR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 18, Z L960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M we 5W Ham 1964 K. E. G. WEINREICH 3,120,145

BRIDGE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 18, 1960 FIG. 5

United States Patent 3,120,145 BRIDGE FGR STRHNGED MUdiCAL IIJslTRUIt IENTS Kari Eduard Gottlieb Weinreich, Fersenfeldtswcg 6, Hamburg, Germany Filed Aug. 18, M60, Ser. No. 50,404 Claims priority, application Germany Oct. 30, 1959 2 Claims. (ill. 84-307) The invention relates to a process of making wooden bridges (socalled tone or sound bridges) for stringed musical instruments by means of a special method of glueing the different wooden components of such bridges together.

A like or similar process is not known to the applicant. He only knows that may varieties of one-piece wooden bridges of the kind still in use today have been thought out and designed for stringed musical instruments in the course of time. Practically none of them, however, made their way into general use. A process or method to males these bridges in the manner herewith described has not yet become known. I

The object of the invention is to convert the sound oscillations, or vibrations, brought about by the stroke of the strings of musical instruments with the bow, or by plucking them, from the horizontal run in the upper part of the bridge into vertical oscillations by utilizing the natural wood texture, and thereby to considerably reduce the oscillatory loss occurring on the way of transmission through lateral escape from the bridge. in this way it shall be achieved that the transmission of the oscillations produced by the strings to the sound-board is quicker and more complete than heretofore. .Thereby the sounds are produced by, and released from, the sound-board quicker, furthermore strength and volume of the tone increase, and the work of the whole oscillatory body is considerably intensified with a marked increase of the fullness of the tone.

in order to accomplish these improvements 2. special construction of the bridges is necessary. They are therefore not made of only one piece any more, but prefabricated piece parts are cold-glued together. These pieces consist of straight sections (FIG. 2) and wedges (FIG. 3) both with an angular profile.

The way the bridge is mounted together according to FIG. 1 is as follows:

The sections of the upper part a of the bridge lie horizontal. They have a natural, slightly dropping texture run which alters its direction from one section, or strip, to the next to insure utmost induration.

The adjoining upper sections b consist of wedges also of angular profile and thus convert, when glued together in the same way, the horizontal held of oscillation a into a slanting position. The lower center part 0 again consists of wedges with the resting poles d here lying on the outsides of the bridge in order to prevent oscillations from escaping in this part of the bridge (sound bridge). The tip of the lower center part c connects the vibrotechnical zero point of sections b and abuts against the lower end of part a.

The transmission of oscillations to the two feet 1 of the bridge takes place from the center-piece c by way of a horizontal field of strips e, which is inserted for increasing the stability and has the same features as part a.

The feet 1 are built together in such a way that they go over from the horizontal field of sections e by several steps into a steep slanting position g. This, however, requires for reasons of stability the insertion of intermediate sections h with less slant in the varying wood texture run into the component sections with great slant, and a wood texture run either sloping inwards (FIG. 1) or outwards (MG. 4), just as wanted. Another principle applied for the structure of the feet is shown in FIG. 5. It differs merely with regard to the run of the texture.

The applied principle of wedge-glueing affords greater glueing surfaces which are deemed necessary because of the great number of components to be joined together and that the risk of breakage or collapse of the wooden walls is lessened.

"The recesses or incisions on the sides of the bridge, conventional with all bridges of present type must, however, be dispensed with in the construction according to the invention in order not to upset the described principle of guiding the vibration by making use of the way of transmission determined by the natural wood texture run.

As material fine-grained hardwood was used.

In the drawings the invention is illustrated by Way of an example. The example shown in FIG. 1 relates to a sound-bridge for the Violoncello, this bridge, however, can be used for all sorts of stringed instruments too, if modified appropriately in their dimensions.

Literary treatment of the principle here applied by the inventor can be found in the book written by Prof. Dr. Karl LFuhr, published by Carl Merseburger in Leipzig in 1926 under the title Die akustischen Riitsel der Geige The Acoustic Phenomena of the Violin) on p. 63 and further. There, however, only the theoretical problem is dealt with, whereas a way of solving it is not set forth.

What I claim is:

l. A bridge for a stringed musical instrument having a string supporting top face and comprising, in combination, a string supporting upper portion upwardly terminating in said string supporting top face, said upper portion consisting of at least three superimposed woden strips of V-shaped cross section extending substantially parallel to said string supporting top face with the grain of said strips being slightly inclined to said string supporting top face and the grain of adjacent ones of said superimposed Wooden strips running in different directions; a supporting portion of substantially U-shaped cross section and adapted to be fixed to the body of a stringed musical instrument, said supporting portion consisting of a plurality of V-shaped superimposed wooden strips having at least one edge extending in substantially horizontal direction with the grain of adjacent ones of said plurality of superimposed wooden strips running in different directions; and an intermediate portion interposed between and firmly adhering to said upper portion and said supporting portions, said. intermediate portion consisting of a plurality of superimposed wedge-shaped Wooden strips of V-s'haped cross-section, said wedge-shaped wooden strips being greatly inclined to said string supporting top face and the grain of adjacent ones of said Wedge-shaped wooden strips running in different directions, whereby, upon operation of said stringed instrument, oscillatory loss of vibratory energy through lateral escape from the bridge is reduced due to the varying inclinations of said wooden strips and the diiference in the direction of the grain of adjacent strips.

2. A bridge for a stringed musical instrument having a string supporting top face and comprising, in comb-ination, a string supporting upper portion free of cutouts upwardly terminating in said string supporting top face, said upper portion consisting of at least three superimposed Wooden strips of V-shaed cross section extending substantially parallel to said string supporting top face with the grain of said strips being slightly inclined to said string supporting top face and the grain of adjacent ones of said superimposed wooden strips running in different directions; a supporting portion of substantially U- shaped cross section and adapted to be fixed to the body of a stringed musical instrument, said supporting portion consisting of a plurality of V-shaped superimposed wooden strips having at least one edge extending in substantially horizontal direction with the grain of adjacent ones of said plurality of superimposed Wooden strips run ning in diiferent directions; and an intermediate portion free of cut-outs interposed between and firmly adhering to said upper portion and said supporting portions, said intermediate portion consisting of a pluraiity of superimposed Wedge-shaped wooden strips of V-shaped cross section, said pyramidal wooden strips being greatly inclined to said string supporting top fiace and the grain of adjacent ones of said wedge-shaped Wooden strips running in different directions, whereby, upon operation of ergy through lateral escape from the bridge is reduced due to the varying inclinations of said wooden strips and the difference in the direction of the grain of adjacent strips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 693,648 Hurley Feb. 18, 1902 2,452,739 Fairchild Nov. 2, 1948 2,454,113 Ake Nov. 16, 1948 I FOREIGN PATENTS 202,655 Great Britain June 5, 1924 

2. A BRIDGE FOR A STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING A STRING SUPPORTING TOP FACE AND COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A STRING SUPPORTING UPPER PORTION FREE OF CUTOUTS UPWARDLY TERMINATING IN SAID STRING SUPPORTING TOP FACE, SAID UPPER PORTION CONSISTING OF AT LEAST THREE SUPERIMPOSED WOODEN STRIPS OF V-SHAPED CROSS SECTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID STRING SUPPORTING TOP FACE WITH THE GRAIN OF SAID STRIPS BEING SLIGHTLY INCLINED TO SAID STRING SUPPORTED TOP FACE AND THE GRAIN OF ADJACENT ONES OF SAID SUPERIMOPOSED WOODEN STRIPS RUNNING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS; A SUPPORTING PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY USHAPED CROSS SECTION AND ADAPTED TO BE FIXED TO THE BODY OF A STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, SAID SUPPORTING PORTION CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF V-SHAPED SUPERIMPOSED WOODEN STRIPS HAVING AT LEAST ONE EDGE EXTENDING IN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION WITH GRAIN OF ADJACENT ONES OF SAID PLURALITY OF SUPERIMPOSED WOODEN STRIPS RUNNING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS; AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION FREE OF CUT-OUTS INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND FIRMLY ADHERING TO SAID UPPER PORTION AND SAID SUPPORTING PORTIONS, SAID 